Complete Guide to AutoCAD

Navigate the ribbon tabs (Home, Insert, Annotate, View, Output), application menu, quick access toolbar, and command line. Switch between model space and paper space using the tabs below the viewport, and use zoom, pan, and orbit to move around your drawing.

Work through every 2D drawing command in the Draw panel: line, polyline (with arc segments), polygon, rectangle, circle, arc, ellipse, spline, and point. Learn direct distance entry by typing lengths, use polar tracking for angled lines, and apply object snap overrides to hit endpoints, midpoints, and intersections precisely.

Run through the Modify panel: move with M shortcut, copy with base points, rotate around a centre, trim to cutting edges, extend to boundary edges, offset at set distances, create rectangular and polar arrays, mirror with axis definition, and apply fillet and chamfer to corners. Build speed with grip editing and quick selection.

Add single-line and multi-line text with specified heights and rotations. Create dimension styles controlling text size, arrow types, and offsets, then place linear, aligned, angular, and radius dimensions. Build blocks from repeated geometry (doors, furniture) and insert them with the Properties palette. Use Match Properties to copy layer, colour, and linetype settings between objects.

Attach reference images and scale them to real-world dimensions for tracing. Insert XRefs to link external drawings (consultant files, base plans) and manage file paths. Bind XRefs when you need standalone files for sharing. This sets up the reference material for the Fallingwater project.

Create a new drawing using a metric template and configure drawing units to decimal millimetres. Set up a layer structure for walls, windows, doors, annotations, and datum lines. Attach the Fallingwater reference images and scale them to match the imperial measurements from Wright's original drawings.

Trace the ground floor plan using polylines for walls, then add windows, doors, and stairs. Organise multiple floor levels (basement, ground, first, second, roof) in model space with clear separation. Use layer filters to group layers by floor for quick visibility control.

Set up datum lines on a red layer with dotted linetype to establish level changes (main terrace at 0.0, other levels relative). Draw elevations using the frontal projection method—line across from plans to establish widths, project up to datum heights. Create cross sections using the same approach and align them with your floor plans.

Apply hatch patterns for materials—brick, concrete, timber—adjusting scale, angle, and transparency. Construct cast shadows on elevations using 45-degree projections. Insert entourage blocks for furniture, people, and trees to add scale and context. Finish with dimension strings, room labels, and drawing titles.

Create paper space layouts and set viewport scales (1:100, 1:50). Insert a title block with project information, drawing numbers, and revision details. Configure page setup with paper size and plot area, then set up plot styles (CTB files) to map layer colours to line weights. Plot to PDF for client issue.

Additional tips and workflow optimisation techniques to speed up your AutoCAD drafting.